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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · cold · pitch · mate · lash · mouse · bound · ball

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cold — an illness
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bound — obliged
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com